


A cup of love

by sonnet_18



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Birthday Gift Fic, M/M, Post reconnect, mentions of rape and violence, post drama CD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24974137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonnet_18/pseuds/sonnet_18
Summary: What should Aoba do when he broke something precious belonging to Mink?
Relationships: Mink/Seragaki Aoba
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	A cup of love

**Author's Note:**

> This is a birthday gift fic for a friend I wrote several months ago. 
> 
> Tbh I didn't plan to ever publish this, I wrote it for my friend's viewing only. However, after much thinking, perhaps it's best I post it anyway. I never thought I'll write another Dmmd fic oneshot again (plus I'm quite content with my current number of published Dmmd fics) but I still like Dmmd and if possible I hope I can write a few more short oneshots in the future. 
> 
> I hope you'll be entertained a bit by this story. Be cautioned that since it's been a long while since I last wrote this pair, there's bound to be OOC from the two. I apologize in advance and thank you for bearing with me.

  
“Gyaaaahhh!!”

  
Aoba’s shriek followed after the sound of a broken glass from the kitchen caused Mink to jump from his work chair faster than his motorbike!

“Aoba? What happened?”

  
Despite his long legs, Mink couldn’t reach fast enough to the crime scene. His heart beat faster than a drum as all possible worse case scenarios crossed his mind to what may have happened to his beloved partner. A grizzly bear? Toue’s men? Toue’s men riding a grizzly bear barged into their kitchen??

  
“M-Mink…”

  
Aoba looked up from the floor once the door slammed open...

  
“I’m so sorry I broke… your favorite cup.”

  
He apologized in full regret, in his hands were the broken pieces of the familiar ceramic.

  
Mink himself almost melted down beside Aoba too. Relief and exhaustion overcame him as he realized the situation and that no armed soldiers mounted on a furry beast came to take Aoba from him. Brushing back his wavy locks, he stepped close.

  
“Put those down. You’ll injure your---”

  
“Ouch!”

“…finger.”

The artisan sighed again and grabbed his lover’s hand before his partner broke anymore skin.

  
“I’m sorry, I was washing the dishes and then I saw this big roach and then I… I’m sorry Mink, that was your favorite cup and I broke it and… and…”

  
“It’s fine, now come.”

  
Gently Mink helped Aoba to stand and brought him to the living room. Before they sat down on the couch, Mink fetched the first aid kit box from the bookshelf. Behind them he could hear the soft pitter-patter of Ren’s paw steps and the swish of Rulacane’s wings. It was not the first time Aoba got injured, not too long ago he burnt his fingers while working on a new pie recipe. A small jar of minty salve did the trick however this time it’s better to use the first aid box as he needed to examine there’s no minuscule shattered pieces in Aoba’s wounds.

“I broke your favorite cup, Mink. I’m so sorry…”

As he tended to Aoba’s wounds (thankfully it was only a small cut), Mink was confused as to why his lover cared so much over an item.

“It doesn’t matter, we have many other cups.”

  
Cups and dishes were replaceable compared to human lives. He rather broke all of their earthly possessions than having his irreplaceable soul mate taken from him.

  
“It does matter!” Aoba shouted, “I know that cup is special to you!”

  
Aoba seldom raised his voice and this made Mink confused. He wasn’t angry at Aoba, just stunned. Yes, it was an old cup he preferred to drink from but like he mentioned before, it’s not as if it’s the only cup he had in the house. There should be a handful more in the shelves. Why was Aoba so upset about it? Not sure on what to say, he kept silent. His golden eyes studying Aoba's amber ones.

This silence caused Aoba to feel guilt building up within his slender frame.

Frustrated at himself, he yanked his bandaged hand away from Mink! "Y-you can let go of me now!"

  
The stunned Mink became more speechless.

  
Aoba became flustered at what he just said as well as at his own brash actions.

  
“I… I’m sorry I shouted at you Mink. I don’t know what got into me. I…”, Aoba picked up Ren and zoomed out of the room, “I need to do the laundry!”

  
Mink didn’t have the chance to stop the blue whirlwind that knocked him back to the land of the living and left stumped on the couch alone.

  
Soon the sound of flapping wings and a soft weight rested on his shoulder.

**“Now… is this what they call…** _**’A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it, is committing another mistake.’** _ **?”**

Rulacane commented from a quote by a philosopher. His tone robotic and artificial but Mink knew the Allmate sounded amused by the situation.

Due to Mink’s pastime of reading, the Allmate picked up insightful lines of thoughts from said books. However, right now Mink wasn’t in the mood for a philosophical debate. He’s more concerned about Aoba’s sudden change of mood.

  
“Aoba…?”

  
****

  
“Ren… I really messed up….”

  
Aoba claimed he was going to do the laundry but in reality, he made a big U-turn, said hello to the squirrels and re-entered the house from the kitchen door. He plopped himself on the floor again with a small broom and dustpan, carefully cleaning the shattered cup.

**_  
“Aoba, don’t be sad. Mink said himself he didn’t mind.”_ **

  
The deep voice comically from the fluffy Allmate was strangely reassuring to the troubled man. Even the sight of the small robotic pup dutifully guarding the door (to alert Aoba in case Mink was going to enter) was a cute sight.

  
“I know he didn’t mind. But _I_ mind!”

  
There was a reason why Aoba over reacted back in the living room. He carefully picked up a big piece of the shattered cup and placed it on his palm. The piece was from the base of the cup. There were dark stains from years of unsweetened coffee no matter how much scrubbing you scrub them. There were also other stains….

  
Stains from a massive fire. Almost like soot that was very difficult to clean off.

  
Aoba admitted he’s not the brightest kid in Midorijima but it didn’t take Noiz’s intelligence to figure out that this cup was most likely picked up by Mink when he searched through the burnt site of his home. When there were no survivors, the next salvageable possessions Mink could rescue were their belongings.

  
When Aoba first washed the cup during the beginning of them living together, he wondered… Who was the original owner of this cup? Mink himself? However, Mink vowed to tracked down Toue then. He didn’t bother to pack any luggage to chase down the man who annihilated his whole village. Why packed for a journey that he didn’t plan to return alive anyway?

  
The only item Mink took with him was the holy pipe that he used to smoke. So, what was the significance of this ruined ceramic?

  
He flipped the piece on his palm and studied the faint marks of lettering he knew would be there with a forlorn expression.

__

_**“What are you looking at, Aoba?”** _

Ren sensed the tension and raised heartbeat of his owner and pawed closer.

“I noticed it since I started living with Mink. It’s the same cup he used to drink from when I first came to this house, and he poured me a cup of coffee. My cup then was a new cup while his cup was this old and worn out cup. It’s old and a bit dirty… see the wordings here?”

Aoba showed Ren the faded and almost incomprehensible lettering on the cup’s surface.

Ren tried to do a scan of the foreign wording but even his database couldn’t translate it.

Aoba smiled sadly, “You can’t translate it, Ren. It’s not in English. It’s probably a name or a phrase… I think it’s written in Mink’s mother tongue.”

The wordings looked neither like alphabets nor runes of an ancient civilization. It’s quite difficult to describe to the eyes of a non-native.

__

_**“How do you know, Aoba? It could be a brand name of a foreign company.”** _

Aoba shook his head, “It’s handwritten by a child. I don’t know how I know but the writing style reminds me of Mio, Kio and Nao’s scribbles when they brought their homework to Heibon few years ago.”

He tried to squash down the feeling of homesickness whenever he remembered his country and the people he grew up with.

Focusing his attention on the piece of ceramic, Aoba took deep breaths to calm himself. But it did nothing to double his sense of guilt and anger at himself.

“This cup most likely belonged to Mink’s… late sister.”

His partner never mentioned how old she was before she perished but for him to rescue this item, what possibly be the only memento he had of her, caused Aoba to almost tear up.

“I’m… the worst…”

Ren pawed Aoba’s knee. Silent as he tried his best to be beside his master as his owner cried silently on the cold, kitchen floor.

*****

The next day, things were awkward between the pair of lovers. Usually Aoba brightened the room with his smiles and greetings. Mink, the quiet type, was used to his partner’s cheery laughter and rambles of what happened at work or who he met at the market while grocery shopping.

But with Aoba avoiding his gaze, replied with short answers to Mink’s questions and requesting to sleep in separate bedrooms… they resembled more like strangers than a married couple.

What’s more, Aoba had been returning home late. And whenever he returned, he’d quickly get a quick bath as if not wanting to let Mink’s sharp sense of smell detect anything suspicious. Mink was concerned despite not showing it in his face. He still believed that Aoba was free to come and leave whenever he wished. It didn’t matter that he said his vows. If Aoba was tired of him or hated him now, he won’t stop the man from returning to his country.

__

_**“Didn't an author used to say… ‘I was quiet, but I was not blind.’?”** _

Mink sighed as Rulacane quoted the creator of _Pride and Prejudice_. Maybe he should tinker some of the bird’s setting tonight.

Alone on the couch, Mink couldn’t concentrate on his reading and ended up watching the television that Aoba brought back from a pawn shop. The news ended and now it’s showing advertisements about Valentine chocolate and gifts to that special someone.

“Valentine…”

Thinking back, Mink remembered last year when Aoba tried to bake chocolate with tea powder sent by his grandmother. A rare smile appeared before he frowned again. He missed his blue haired lover, he wished Aoba was here cuddling next to him on the couch that felt too big for even a big man like himself.

Rather than dismissing his Allmate’s comment, Mink pondered what the bird tried to imply. Perhaps the situation they’re having now was more of prideful silence than prejudice for assuming what Aoba was being secretive about.

“Yes, I am aware Aoba is avoiding me. But I will not force him to speak to me if he’s not ready.”

Rulacane didn’t reply. Now his silence made Mink more annoyed at himself.

What was he supposed to do?

  
******

  
Several days passed and things between the pair became distant and quieter than a tomb. Now their only communication was between the Allmates (Ren would inform Mink that Aoba would be late again so please have dinner first) or through Coil text messages. He even missed Rulacane’s sarcastic quoted quotes of the situation as if being the narrator of this spectacle. Mink couldn’t finish a single piece of jewelry for his thoughts were full of Aoba.

  
What should he do?

  
Why was his lover avoiding him, still?

  
It’s about the broken cup, wasn’t it? But he already assured Aoba that it’s nothing to worry about repeatedly.

  
Perhaps it’s not about the cup?

  
Cold dread washed over Mink as it didn’t take long for him to list down all the horrible, cruel and heartless reasons Aoba could spell out to him as to why he’d avoid and hate him for. Memories from Midorijima were never gone. His vice-like grip choking Aoba’s neck… his deadly punches ‘til he drew blood… how he yanked those blue strands despite noticing Aoba’s intense, pained reaction…

“What… should I do?”  
  
  


Rulacane continued to preen himself in silence.

  
*****

  
On the 14th day, Mink didn’t see Aoba the whole day. After he woke up, the house was strangely cold and quiet. Alone with his thoughts and assuming the worse, Mink scared himself to think the very worse had happened. Immediately Mink searched for his soul mate, and he froze when he saw Aoba’s room was empty! He checked to see if Aoba’s _Jerry Blaine_ bag and passport was still in the closet and sighed a relief to see his passport was still there.

  
So where was Aoba? It was very rare of him to leave the house before the sun rise. Ren was not at present too. It’s too early to go to work and it’s not like Aoba to leave the house without seeing Mink off at the door.

  
Mink tried to contain his panic and rearranged his thoughts. Just because his passport was there didn’t mean Aoba willingly left the house. Aoba had been coming home late and leaving the house early. All these time Mink just assumed Aoba was probably working extra shifts or needed space away from Mink. He was naively positive that Aoba would come to him like he always did whenever they had disagreements and Aoba would fix their situation by breaking down Mink’s chains of silence.

  
But what if Aoba got sick of Mink’s passive silence and left? With someone?

  
And if not someone, could Aoba be in danger?

  
Could it be possible for an armed bear driven by soldiers came to kidnap his Aoba after all??

  
_“I’m home--- ack! I shouldn’t have said that, what would I do if I wake Mink up?”_

  
Soft whispers and the sound of the main door closing alerted Mink!

  
Immediately he sprinted to the living room and turned on the lights to see Aoba by the entrance door!

  
Aoba’s shocked expression resembled a cat who got its paw in a cookie jar.

  
“O-oh! Mink! You’re up early! I… uh…”

  
“Where were you?”

  
The taller man asked in a flat tone. Was he angry? No, he could never be angry at Aoba. So why were his steps towards Aoba thumped hard and loud like angry thunder strikes?

  
“I… “

Nervously Aoba put down Ren on the floor while his other hand kept carrying a brown paper bag.

“I was… feeding the squirrels… haha… W-why are you up so early?”

  
Once Mink stood close enough to Aoba, the shorter male got backed up to the door. Trapped, Aoba smiled nervously as he clutched the brown paper bag in his arms.

  
“U-um…”

  
Mink reached up and cupped Aoba’s cold cheeks. He touched those soft, blue locks down to the nape of his neck. He could smell Aoba’s familiar shampoo and relished in the sound of his entrancing voice.

  
He’s here.

  
He’s not injured.

  
He’s here, alive.

  
Warm.

  
Safe.

  
“Where were you, Aoba? Please… tell me the truth.”

  
He begged as he pulled him into his arms. He didn’t want to lose another loved one. He shouldn’t be selfish and let Aoba go if that was Aoba’s true wish. Living with a dead man like himself wouldn’t bring Aoba happiness. Aoba deserved to return to his real home in Midorijima… but he can’t… he couldn’t. He wanted to keep this beautiful blue butterfly in his grasp… a little longer.

_Please…_

“Tell me, Aoba…”

Squashed against Mink’s broad chest, Aoba almost forgot to breathe. Then he did something Mink hadn’t seen in a long while.

Aoba smiled.

A genuine and quite bashful smile. Not like the forced smile he had during their awkward dinner and breakfast.

Mink thought he fell in love all over again to this angel.

Aoba laughed and reached up to touch Mink’s tense jawline.

“To be honest I wanted to wait until dinner time to tell you but oh well, let’s use them early then.”

“Use them?”, the artisan repeated in confusion as he held onto Aoba’s wrist.

“Yep, these.” Aoba showed him the brown paper bag but didn’t reveal the content yet, “Wait for me in the kitchen, okay? I’ll be there in a second after I take off my shoes.”

*****

… The sound of the kettle boiling, the pop of the tin jar and the little tinkle of spoon mixing the sweet concoction raised Mink’s curiosity all the more.

In the kitchen, his beautiful partner was in his element. The sun’s rays from the window cast a breathtaking glow on Aoba. Wearing a white jacket and his hair adorned with white feathers… it’s as if there really was an angel here. Mink felt he didn’t deserve to have such a precious soul mate.

  
Humming a soft tune of that _Goatbed_ ’s incomprehensible lyric, Aoba made Mink a cup of drink. But instead of taking a pair of cups from the shelf, he took out a familiar looking mug from the brown paper bag.

  
“That’s…”

  
At this, Aoba’s smile dimmed a bit.

  
“It’s not the same one as the one I broke. But I tried my best to make it as close as possible as the original cup.”

  
It was almost identical, to be honest. The shape of the handle, the size of the base, the width of the cup’s lip… except there’s no blackened soot that marred the surface from the fire.

  
  


“How… when did you…?”

Aoba scratched the back of his head, “It’s been on my mind, Mink. No amount of apology could forgive me for ruining one of the few and precious memento of your family.”

Mink was speechless. Memento? But before he could speak, Aoba pressed a finger to his lips to halt his words.

“I didn’t want to buy you a new cup and… I tried to fix the broken cup by gluing them together again but it’s not the same. I don’t dare to replicate the wordings because I don’t want to do something stupid like changing its meaning or make a typo…”

From the same paper bag, Aoba took out the original broken cup he shattered. Now fixed and glued together but it was obvious some pieces were missing and so it’s not usable to drink with. It’s even a bit dangerous to drink the damaged cup as the broken edges were too sharp.

“… At the very least, I want to right my wrong by recreating a similar one for you.”

Aoba placed the original, glued cup next to the one he made.

“I learned how to do clay works from a new friend I met in town. She actually teaches art to kids at the orphanage but does many side jobs as well. I told her about my dilemma, she offered to teach me clay making. So… that’s why I’ve been coming home late and went out to work early. I was studying under her. I wanted to finish this cup by today so that’s why I left really early to fetch this from the big oven, and I was planning to give it to you for dinner later.”

After Mink listened to Aoba’s explanation, he was stunned and speechless once again. All those doubts and worries he had of the worst-case scenario felt fleeting like it was all just a nightmare of endless forest fires and bones.

“Aoba…”, he reached out to clasp his lover’s smaller hand, “Really, you don’t have to do this. Like I said before, we have many other cups. I’m not particular about what cups I use.”

Aoba pouted, “but that cup is special to you, Mink. It belonged to your family. There were words written on the outside bottom of the cup. I couldn’t read it but I just… know it possibly belonged to your family and it means a lot to you.”

Mink looked away; he couldn’t deny that fact then he stared back at his partner.

“It’s true… the cup used to belong to my late sister… And she gave it to me before she got married. But Aoba, what happened was an accident and you didn’t need to beat yourself up for it.”

Aoba looked like he was going to cry but held himself back.

“I know but… I still feel guilty. And this is my way of amending it.”

Pulling himself together, Aoba took a deep breath before he smiled again.

“Well, now you know where I’ve been the past week. I’m sorry, Mink, for being secretive. It’ll make me very… happy if…” at this, Aoba looked up to his partner with his puppy eyes, “if… you can please take a sip from my fake cup.”

After recovering from the imaginary arrow to the heart, Mink composed himself then… frown at Aoba’s wordings.

Mink didn’t like how his lover downplayed his own hard work of recreating his late sister’s mug.

But obediently Mink obeyed and carefully picked up Aoba’s molded recreation… and paused when the scent of the potion reached his nose.

“This is not coffee.” He stated with a tilt of his head to the side. Confused.

Aoba laughed a bit and also looked…a bit embarrassed.

“Y-yeah. And it’s not entirely chocolate too.” He pointed out with a grin as if they’re playing a game, “Yes it’s not coffee and not entirely cocoa. However, I made sure that you can still enjoy it, Mink. Have a taste!”

Aoba reassured him with a little bounce in his step.

Why was Aoba acting quite eager?

Yes, he tasted chocolate before but this felt quite random. Aoba was giving him this expectant look too. Why chocolate today of all days? If Aoba said it’s not entirely chocolate… then what was it?

“Make sure you drink all of it, okay? It’s not too sweet, I promise!”

Aoba rested his chin on his palm as he sat on one of the chairs. Waiting eagerly for Mink to sip the potion he brewed.

A sip and then two.

Before he realized it, Mink enjoyed the warm and mildly sweet elixir so much that he almost drank it all.

“Aoba… this is…”

Aoba nodded, “It’s mocha. Chocolate WITH coffee! Do you like it?”

  
  


Mink was about to say something when he noticed there were some marks at the inside bottom of the cup. It’s not chocolate granules but some kind of lettering…

Aoba grinned widely, pleased that Mink saw!

“Drink it all up to read.”

Aoba urged his partner and Mink did as he was told.

Once the replicated cup was empty, Mink could finally read it.

Three words written in English.

_‘I love you’._

Aoba had carved the three words on the inside base of his new cup in English despite being self-conscious of his language writing level.

Looking up, Mink saw Aoba was now beet red in embarrassment.

“I couldn’t read what the letters on your sister’s cup meant. It could be her name or it could be something else that only you two would understand. I never had a sibling before, so I wouldn’t know.”

Aoba tried to laugh. It’ll be amazing if he had a brother or a twin sibling. Maybe he wouldn’t have caused Baa-chan so much grief for being a delinquent if he had a brother to seek advice and vent his frustrations. They could listen to music together and play games, go shopping for shoes or hats. But then again would he and his imaginary brother would have the same fashion sense? Maybe his non-existent sibling would be the opposite; preferring black and white over blue and white. Or maybe skulls and heart motifs than _Jerry Blaine?_

Mentally shaking his head from such impossible thoughts, Aoba continued, “Like I said… I can never rewrite what she wrote on her cup. It is not my intention to disrespect her last words to you. But…”

Aoba lowered his expressive eyes as his tightened his fists on the table, “but still… I want you to remember… her ‘feelings’ to you. They are written there at the bottom of the cup. For you to always remember her.”

“Aoba….” Mink stood up from his chair.

“I’m glad I managed to complete the cup by today because today is a special day…”

Aoba twiddled with his thumbs as he rambled on and on with pink cheeks.

“I… uh… Happy Valentine’s Day, Mink. Uh, in Midorijima, it’s not just couples who give chocolates to their lovers you know? We even give chocolates to friends and family members too... I think. And… uh… well… I can never replace your sister or your family but… well… I want you to know that … my feelings for you is nothing like a real blood family’s bond but--- oof!”

Aoba couldn’t finish his words as Mink rounded the table and pulled him into his arms for a tight embrace!

“Please… don’t say that. You are important to me. You are my family too, Seragaki Aoba. Don’t ever doubt that and you don’t have to compensate for anything. Having you by my side is more than enough… it’s more… than enough.”

Mink repeated the same words he said to Aoba during the first time they celebrated Valentine.

Well it wasn’t really a celebration but more like Aoba tried to surprise Mink with a chocolate drink that time. Aoba was quiet… and then Mink felt something damp on his chest as he continued to hug his shivering beloved. It didn’t take him long for the artisan to realize Aoba was crying quietly.

Bending down to kiss Aoba’s head, where the soul resided, Mink rubbed his back gently.

To the side he saw the two cups.

Both with the same shape and size… if Mink were to wear a blind fold and pick one of them, he would never fail to know which one was made by Aoba.

How?

By weight.

It’s not because his late sister’s cup weigh less due to missing pieces. But because Aoba’s hand-made ceramic cup… were infused full of his love and affection to a ghost like him. He’s one lucky bastard to have Aoba in his second journey in life.

The past two weeks of awkward silence and distance affected Aoba too. How he must have been wrecked with guilt and angry at himself on how to fix the mess he caused… Aoba must have been so relieved at this outcome. And Mink was so glad to have his lover back in his arms…

“Thank you, Aoba…”

Mink cupped Aoba’s damp cheeks and made him look up. He bent down to whisper near Aoba’s ear which caused Aoba to cry harder. Mink smiled, and he repeated the oath that only Aoba could hear before kissing him passionately.

“Don’t cry alone anymore, because I’m here with you.”

_Thank you, my angel. I love you too._

  
\-----

  
\-------------

  
\--------------------------  
**  
END?**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
